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Economic Times
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Hamas leaders met Pakistani terror groups in PoK before Pahalgam attack, says Israel envoy
IANS New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) The deadly alliance between terror outfit Hamas and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), now expanding its network and operations from the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to the streets of Bangladesh, lies exposed once again after Tuesday's barbaric killing of innocent civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. The terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which left 26 civilians dead, bears striking similarities to the Hamas-led massacre in Israel last year, according to Israel's Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar.'There are similarities between the Pahalgam attack and what happened on October 7 [2023] in Israel. Innocent tourists were enjoying their vacation in Pahalgam, while in Israel, people were celebrating at a music festival,' Azar told PTI. Around 1,200 Israelis were killed in that attack, sparking Israel's long and ongoing war in warned that global terror outfits are now collaborating more closely. Speaking to NDTV, he said, "The terrorists are collaborating at all levels and trying to be copycats of each other. I am sure the intelligence agencies are working together to defeat them."According to a TOI report, investigations revealed that two months before the Pahalgam attack, senior Hamas figures had travelled to PoK for a public gathering. Indian intelligence reports highlight that Hamas spokespersons Khalid Qaddoumi and Naji Zaheer, along with leaders Mufti Azam and Bilal Alsallat, attended a rally at Rawalakot on 5 February 2025. The rally, titled 'Kashmir Solidarity and Hamas Operation Al Aqsa Flood,' was reportedly attended by nearly 100 foreign militants. Qaddoumi and others addressed the gathering, which coincided with Pakistan's annual observance of 'Kashmir Solidarity Day'.Photographs and footage from the event, reported by showed Hamas leaders wearing shawls adorned with the flags of Pakistan, Palestine, and Hamas. This marked an unprecedented moment: it was the first known visit of Palestinian militant leaders to gathering is seen by Indian security officials as a deliberate move to link Pakistan's jihadi campaign in Kashmir with Hamas's struggle against Israel, portraying both as 'resistance against occupation.'This event in Rawalakot was not an isolated instance. Hamas representatives have made repeated visits to Pakistan over the past year, especially after their October 2023 assault on Israel.A Hamas team recently visited the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters in Bahawalpur, where they also toured a Pakistani Army facility inaugurated by Army chief Asim Munir. This facility lies close to Rajasthan and is strategically vital for Pakistan's another development in January 2024, Hamas spokesperson Qaddoumi was invited to address Pakistan's Parliament. During the session, a Pakistani MP claimed that the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) was intended to counter China's Belt and Road Initiative and declared, 'That plan is now buried under the rubble of Gaza.'A security source told TOI that Hamas leaders had also organised an 'Al-Aqsa Million March' in Karachi, with Qaddoumi praising Pakistan as an "elder brother" for hosting 15 Palestinian prisoners freed under a ceasefire agreement with timing of these Hamas visits coincides with heightened Pakistani political and military activity in PoK.A day before the Rawalakot rally, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army chief Asim Munir made a rare joint visit to Muzaffarabad, diverging from the traditional low-key observance of Kashmir Solidarity link this urgency to India's increasingly assertive claims over PoK following the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had said last year that PoK would 'on its own' seek to join India once it witnesses the development happening across the Line of Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, speaking at Chatham House in London, reinforced this message. He said, "Look, in Kashmir, we have actually done a good job solving most of it. I think removing Article 370 was step number one. Then, restoring growth, economic activity, and social justice in Kashmir was step number two. Holding elections with a very high turnout was step number three."He added, "I think the part we are waiting for is the return of the stolen part of Kashmir, which is under illegal Pakistani occupation. Once that is done, I assure you — Kashmir will be solved."Following the revelation of Hamas leaders' visit to PoK, Israel has once again urged India to formally classify Hamas as a terrorist India condemned the October 7 attacks and expressed strong solidarity with Israel against terrorism, it has yet to proscribe Hamas under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. India continues to maintain diplomatic ties with Palestine and reiterates support for a two-state contrast, Israel outlawed Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in 2023 for its role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. At the time, Israel's Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, said he hoped New Delhi would soon designate Hamas as a terrorist outfit, revealing that intelligence on Hamas activities had been shared with the Modi questioned about Hamas in Parliament, India's Ministry of External Affairs responded by stating that designation of any organisation under terrorism laws is considered in accordance with the provisions of the Act by the relevant government departments.(With inputs from TOI, PTI)
News18
25-04-2025
- Politics
- News18
From PoK To Dhaka, Terror Web Woven By ISI With Hamas Help In Chilling Plot: Top Govt Sources To News18
Last Updated: Intelligence input accessed by News18 reveals all four attackers were trained in PoK camps where Hamas has set up a module inside LeT and JeM facilities with ISI support In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian government is working at breakneck speed to ensure that Pakistan and its terror handlers are taught a lesson. Over the past few days, it has been gathering a series of intelligence inputs — some of which, top government sources say, have revealed chilling facts now being used to shape both India's immediate response and its diplomatic outreach to the global community. According to one such input shared exclusively with News18, the attack in Pahalgam closely resembled the Hamas-style offensive carried out in Israel last year, confirming what the government terms as 'India's and the world's worst fears" — that a coordinated ecosystem and pattern is at work, not only to destabilise India, but several other nations as well. The input reveals that the 2025 Pahalgam attack was executed using tactics similar to those adopted by Hamas. Of the four attackers involved, two were Pakistani nationals and two were locals from Kashmir. All four, sources say, were trained in camps located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), where Hamas has reportedly set up a dedicated training module within Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) facilities — with backing from Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI. Hamas Leaders In Pakistan, Rawalakot Rally With LeT & JeM Commanders Government sources further confirmed that on 5 February, Hamas leaders who had been released by Israel travelled to Pakistan at the invitation of the Pakistani government. They were escorted to PoK to meet with LeT and JeM terrorists. During their visit, a rally was organised in Rawalakot, where the Hamas leaders were paraded on horses through the streets and hailed as liberators. Attending the event were Hamas spokespersons Dr Khalid Qaddoumi and Dr Naji Zaheer, along with senior figures Mufti Azam and Bilal Alsallat. Also present were top Pakistan-based terror leaders: Talha Saif, the brother of JeM chief Masood Azhar; launching commander Asghar Khan Kashmiri; Masood Ilyas; and several senior LeT commanders. The rally, held under the banner 'Kashmir Solidarity and Hamas Operation Al Aqsa Flood," was designed to convey that both Kashmir and Palestine were part of a unified pan-Islamic jihad. Organisers appealed to the Ummah to unite against India and Israel, projecting both nations as aggressors using the shared 'victimhood" narrative. Dhaka Conference Tied To Radicalisation In India's Northeast Another intelligence input, dated 7 October last year, revealed that the ISI had also taken Hamas leaders to Dhaka in an attempt to seed a similar radical ideology aimed at inspiring terror activities in India's northeastern states. The event was hosted by the Islamist organisation 'Al Markazul Islami', founded by Mufti Shahidul Islam, a known radical with direct ties to al-Qaeda. Islam was arrested in 1999 for orchestrating a bomb attack on an Ahmadiya mosque in Khulna that killed eight people. Following his release, he travelled to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of Africa, receiving explosives training from al-Qaeda operatives. Despite his death in 2023, Shahidul Islam continues to be idolised by extremist outfits like the Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), who view him as a foundational figure. The October event in Dhaka was attended by senior Hamas leaders Sheikh Khaled Quddumi and Political Bureau Chairman Sheikh Khaled Mishal. Among other notable attendees were Pakistan's Shaikhul Islam Mufti Taqi Usmani and Maulana Fazlur Rahman, both known for their influence within radical circles. Military Plans Underway, Global Support Builds The government has already taken several important steps to diplomatically and economically isolate Pakistan. However, sources confirm that military planning is now underway, and inputs such as these are being used to both build international support and mobilise internal resolve for a stronger retaliatory posture. Following the recent violence in Murshidabad, intelligence antennas have gone up even further, with agencies now treating it as part of a larger pattern demanding heightened vigilance and swift response. Significantly, one of the first nations to express solidarity with India was Israel — a country that has itself suffered at the hands of Hamas. The support came soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Bihar, where Israel's backing was seen as a firm message of unity between the two nations against a shared terror threat. As the Indian government accelerates its decision-making and prepares for possible operations, it continues to use these revelations to underscore the global nature of the threat — one that draws from shared ideologies, shared camps, and shared ambitions to destabilise democratic nations through coordinated jihadist violence. tags : hamas attack Lashkar-e-Taiba Pahalgam attack Pakistan ISI Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: April 25, 2025, 14:06 IST News india From PoK To Dhaka, Terror Web Woven By ISI With Hamas Help In Chilling Plot: Top Govt Sources To News18
